Spirit

Album: The Lion King: The Gift (2019)
Charted: 59 98
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Beyoncé recorded this inspirational song for the soundtrack of the live-action remake of The Lion King and the companion album The Lion King: The Gift. It plays in the film during a pivotal scene with Nala, Simba's childhood best friend and future love interest. Beyoncé also stars in the movie as the voice of the powerful Nala.
  • The Lion King tells the story of Simba, a young lion who struggles to succeed his father as King of the Pride Lands. The song starts off with a chant in Swahili, which translates as "long live the king." The phrase acts as encouragement for the lion and his spirit to prevail.
  • Beyoncé co-wrote and co-produced this song of strength with:

    Swedish-Persian songwriter IIya Salmanzadeh, who has co-penned several of Ariana Grande's hits, including "Problem," "No Tears Left to Cry," "God Is A Woman" and "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored ."

    English dance/hip-hop singer and producer Labrinth. Best known for his own hit single "Beneath Your Beautiful," Labrinth has also contributed to tunes by Noah Cyrus ("Make Me (Cry)"), The Weeknd ("Losers") and Nicki Minaj ("Majesty").
  • Beyoncé produced and curated The Lion King: The Gift companion album. She said that the songs were inspired by the remake's storyline, which "gives the listener a chance to imagine their own imagery, while listening to a new contemporary interpretation."
  • The song's music video features shots of Beyoncé rocking some colorful gowns against picturesque landscapes (parts of the visual were shot at Havasu Falls in Arizona). Those scenes are interspersed with clips from The Lion King. Her daughter, Blue Ivy, also makes a brief appearance when she joins her mom among a troupe of dancers.

    Beyoncé told ABC News' Robin Roberts the concept of the video is "to show how God is the painter and natural beauty in nature needs no art direction."

    "It's the beauty of color, the beauty of melanin, the beauty of tradition," she added.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

90s Metal

90s MetalFact or Fiction

Test your metal - Priest, Maiden, and Beavis and Butt-head show up in this one.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Kristian Bush of Sugarland

Kristian Bush of SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Kristian talks songwriting technique, like how the chorus should redefine the story, and how to write a song backwards.

Adam Duritz of Counting Crows

Adam Duritz of Counting CrowsSongwriter Interviews

"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"

Lou Gramm - "Waiting For A Girl Like You"They're Playing My Song

Gramm co-wrote this gorgeous ballad and delivered an inspired vocal, but the song was the beginning of the end of his time with Foreigner.

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go'sSongwriter Interviews

Charlotte was established in the LA punk scene when a freaky girl named Belinda approached her wearing a garbage bag.